Kiawah Island S.C.
 

Thinking of taking a vacation at the end of June beginning of July and was told to look into Kiawah Island South Carolina. Not sure where to stay and if its a good place for a 18,15 and 14 year old boys. any tips on where to stay and things to do would be great.

I'm in Kiawah now and love it here. I think end of June/July will be very busy crowds so you will want to make things like dinner reservations, golf, and even bike rentals early. One of my friends who comes here every year in the summer said that they could literally not rent a bike anywhere - not through the resort or any of the bike rental companies on 4th of July weekend. You should be fine as long as you plan and reserve early.

This is a really nice scenic location. It all depends on what your boys like to do. If you all golf, the golf courses are beautiful. Or, they can take golf lessons. There are a few clubhouses and the Sanctuary dinner with nice restaurants. If you book a villa or house through the Resort, you get access to the pools. If pools are important to you, then make sure the rental property you book has access to the pools/water park, etc. I think you also get priority reservations for dinner, etc.

There are a ton of bike trails and it's fun to see the island by bike. I am staying in the turtle point villas which are simple and nice, right on the Turtle Point golf course. It's close to East Beach market - there's a little store there, and the Sanctuary hotel and spa. I have biked down to West Beach and the breakfast restaurant Southern kitchen is there. It's really beautiful and scenic here. I am on a lagoon and have gators, pelican, heron, ducks, etc. right in my backyard. Night Heron park has a soccer field, basketball court, nature center, etc. There are sunset cruises. There's a tennis center.

There's a huge grocery store in Freshfields Village, right outside the island gate, so you can stock up on groceries and make meals in your villa or house as well.

Basically once you are on the island, you probably won't leave much. So you are limited to a few restaurants/resort dining - which gets pricey. There's a really good seafood restaurant called Chez Fish right outside the island gate as well.

It's a neat place - if your boys are content with hanging on the beach, biking, etc. it is a relaxing, fun getaway. My guess is that it will be busy with summer crowds, so you just want to book anything you want to do early so you can get bikes and have your time slots for golfing, dinner, spa, etc.

Thanks for all the good info, we will reserve early.

You'll have a great time! You can book directly through Kiawah Island Resort, I believe you will have access to the pools by Night Heron Park and the waterpark in West Beach. You'll be able to use the island guest shuttle and get priority reservations on golfing, spa, restaurants, etc.

You can also book through individual unit owners, many listed on VRBO. It's less expensive but most don't have access to the pools. I have rented through Sweetgrass Vacation Rentals and Pam Harrington. Neither are through the resort. I had excellent experiences with both companies and wonderful rental properties that were exactly as described.

The southern hospitality and charm of the island is amazing. The guest service is so friendly and welcoming. The employees I have talked to say they treat their employees like that as well - not just the guests. It shows. Really special place.

Kiawah is beautiful, lush, and a special place. However, for teenagers you may want to take a look at the Charleston islands, particularly Isle of Palms. About half of the island is a resort - Wild Dunes, with all kinds of lodging options, and lots of activities and amenities. There are also many houses for rent on the island, both ocean front and interior. There is a small downtown area, with a few shops and a grocery store. Very close by is Sullivans Island and Mount Pleasant, which is more built up, with a nice outside, lifestyle type mall, and there is Patriots Point ( aircraft carriers, submarines, to tour). You are also just a quick 20 minute drive to downtown historic Charleston.

Do your children need to be entertained or are they happy with beach activities? If the former, look at Front Beach Isle of Palms. If they are happy with the beach, go to Kiawah.

Kayaking, biking and stand up paddle-boarding are popular activities for teens on Kiawah. Take a thorough look at all the activities under recreation on the Kiawah resort website.

Thanks for all the help we just booked at Wild- Dunes. Any ideas on things to do in Charleston on a day trip or two?